Weekly Toll: Death In the Workplace

U.P. woman dies in workplace accident in Mackinac County

MACKINAC COUNTY, Mich., (WPBN/WGTU) — An Upper Peninsula woman is dead after a workplace accident in Mackinac County. Michigan State Police said it happened at the Carmeuse Lime & Stone facility on M-134 in Cedarville around 1:50 a.m. Saturday. Upon their arrival, troopers said they found two Carmeuse vehicles had been involved in an incident in the pit. The type of vehicles involved is not being released at this time. MSP said Jill Klein, 44 of Cedarville, died as a result of the incident.

2 dead after Amazon building collapses at warehouse facility in Baltimore

BALTIMORE, MD — Two people were killed when part of an Amazon distribution warehouse collapsed amid severe weather, a spokeswoman for the retail giant said Saturday. The men worked for an outside company and not Amazon, spokeswoman Rachael Lighty said. No one else was injured when severe storms with strong winds tore through Maryland Friday evening, she said. “First responders remain onsite assessing the damage. The safety of our employees and contractors is our top priority and at this time the building remains closed,” Lighty said in an email. News reports cite Baltimore fire officials as saying one man was found under debris Friday night and later pronounced dead, while a second man’s body was recovered under rubble early Saturday. Officials say a 50-foot wall at the warehouse collapsed.

‘It was just a huge boom. The house shook’: Metra worker dies, another badly hurt during Northwest Side explosion

Chicago, IL — One of two workers injured during an explosion on Metra train tracks late Saturday morning on the Northwest Side has died, officials said. The worker who died was 37-year-old Omar Solis, who was pronounced at 12:11 p.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. He and another man were working on Metra train tracks when the explosion happened about 11:45 a.m. in the 4500 block of West Byron Street, in the Old Irving Park neighborhood, said Chicago Fire Department spokesman Juan Hernandez. The Metra employees were welding, using torches, to repair the tracks, Metra spokeswoman Meg Reile said.

State investigates construction accident that led to man’s death

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – State officials are conducting an investigation into a school construction accident that resulted in a worker’s death last week. The incident occurred on Tuesday, Oct. 23, at Kelseyville High School, according to Kelseyville Unified Superintendent Dave McQueen. On that day, an employee of the construction company FRC Inc. was injured while working on the high school’s new shop building. McQueen said the construction worker died of his injuries the following day, on the morning of Wednesday, Oct. 24. The worker was identified as Juan Pablo Cuevas Jimenez, a veteran of the United States Marines who leaves behind a wife.

Early findings from probe of Greensboro city worker’s death show she fell 100 feet from water tower ladder

GREENSBORO, NC —Sheria Stringer fell 100 feet to her death Thursday while inside a Greensboro-owned water tower in McLeansville. “We were doing a climb and something happened to her harness,” the caller said Thursday. “She came down the ladder. I don’t know how far, but she’s still on the ladder — still hanging.” Stringer, 28, was classified as “Admin Support 1” employee in the Greensboro Department of Water Resources’ engineering division and had worked for the city since May 2016. Keys said she worked part time providing support for contracts. He said he does not yet know why Stringer was climbing the water tower.

Oil worker killed in explosion near Gillette

Gillette, WY — 36-year-old Gillette man died following an explosion and fire Wednesday at an oil field site near Gillette, county officials confirmed Thursday morning. Beau Damori’s family was notified before the Campbell County Coroner’s office released his name to the Star-Tribune. Three employees were working on site at the time of the fire, including Damori. The other two workers escaped without injury, said Chief Deputy Coroner Steve Rosier. It is unclear what caused the initial combustion and subsequent explosions at the oil storage and water processing facility.

Construction Worker Killed in Wall Collapse at Home

LOWER ALLOWAYS CREEK TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) — Authorities in New Jersey say a contractor who was working on a home remodeling project was killed when a wall collapsed on him. NJ.com reports 22-year-old Nauro Ramos-Ramirez, of Bridgeton, died Wednesday morning. Police say Ramos-Ramirez was working on a home in Lower Alloways Creek Township when he became trapped under debris after a wall collapsed. The man was rushed to a nearby hospital where he died. Police say Ramos-Ramirez was an employee of the Bridgeton-based company DeWitt Concrete and Masonry Inc.

ST. LOUIS, MO – Police are investigating after a Dollar General employee was shot and killed during an attempted robbery Thursday afternoon. Officers responded to the Dollar General at 4038 N. Grand Boulevard around 1:10 p.m. where a man was found shot to death. The man has been identified as 42-year-old Robert Woods. The suspect went into the store and fired several shots, according to police. He fled the scene with a black and silver gun with what appeared to be an extended magazine.

Man dead after apparent industrial accident in southeast Orange County

Orlando, FL — A man was killed Friday morning in an apparent industrial accident in southeast Orange County, The man was apparently pinned by a dump trailer, a piece of machinery that attaches to a truck and has a hydraulic lift, said Mike Jachles, a spokesman for Orange County Fire Rescue. The accident happened at 5225 Young Pine Road, a privately owned property near the Orange County landfill. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the man’s death. His name has not been released.

Oregon OSHA investigates fatal accident at Oregon Rubber Mills

CORVALLIS, Ore.—The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating a fatal accident at Corvallis-based Oregon Rubber Mills. The accident occurred Aug. 23, according to a list of workplace fatality initial reports on the Oregon OSHA website. An Oregon OSHA spokesman declined further comment, saying the agency does not comment on investigations until they are complete. Carl Sanders, general manager at Oregon Rubber Mills, confirmed the accident took place. He declined to discuss details, except to say that the worker was in his mid-20s.

Houston-area deputy killed in vehicle crash during heavy rain

WALLER COUNTY, Texas – A rookie deputy had been patrolling rural Waller County solo for just three nights when her cruiser crashed into a flooded ditch, killing her Wednesday night. A swath of stormy weather that swarmed the Houston area sparked the high-water rescue call that Waller County Sheriff’s Office deputy Loren Vasquez, 23, was responding to when her Ford Crown Victoria hit a patch of standing water on a dark, curvy tract of FM 362. Her emergency lights were on and sirens blasting when her vehicle hydroplaned, Vasquez’s boss, Sheriff Glenn Smith, said in a phone call Thursday. “She hit it, spun out and then her car rolled and rolled upside down into the deeper water in the ditch,” Smith said. Vasquez was just three and a half hours into her night shift, Smith said.

Pizza employee killed in wreck during Halloween storms

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Houston police are investigating a deadly crash that happened on wet roads. Police say a driver lost control and hit a tree on Braeswood near Fondren after 8 p.m. Wednesday night. It was raining very hard at the time, police say, and there may have been some street flooding. The victim, who has not been publicly identified, died at the scene. Police say the victim worked for a pizza company and may have been out delivering pizzas.

Gas worker dies in accident at well pad

Middlebury Township, PA — A natural gas worker at an active well pad in Middlebury Township died early Saturday morning, Oct. 27, after a large piece of equipment fell on him, pinning him to the platform 65 feet in the air where he was standing. According to chief county coroner Dr. James Wilson, Mark Jones, 54, of Kansas, was pronounced dead just after 3 a.m. of blunt force trauma to the head after he had been transported to the Soldiers + Sailors Memorial Hospital emergency department by Middlebury and Wellsboro first responders.

Contractor Struck and Killed by Tree in Natchaug State Forest in Chaplin

Chaplin, CT — A 61-year-old worker was killed when a tree fell at Natchaug State Forest in Chaplin Thursday. The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said the man was a tree contractor. He was working in the area of Pumpkin Hill Road clearing trees that were damaged by gypsy moths when he was struck and killed by a tree. The victim has not been publicly identified.

Dump truck driver killed in I-95 crash

MILFORD, CT (WFSB) – A deadly crash involving a dump truck led to the closure of Interstate 95 north and a few side roads in Milford on Thursday morning. Friday, state police identified the driver as 63-year-old Anthony Edward Drozd of Middletown. State police said at some point beforehand, the dump truck’s body became raised or was unintentionally left in the the “up” position. According to troopers, the truck’s body struck the Quarry Road overpass around 7:45 a.m. and the driver was ejected. The body of the dump truck became detached and struck another vehicle.

Vineyard worker killed in grape harvesting mishap

Napa, CA — A Napa vineyard worker was killed on Monday after he was pulled into an automatic grape picking machine, authorities said. The Napa County Sheriff’s Office identified the victim as Leon Marcelo Lua, 49, a Napa resident. Lua had been harvesting grapes at the Deconinck Vineyards of the Beaucanon Winery at the time of the accident. He was reportedly standing next to a tractor-like automatic harvester when a piece of his clothing got caught in the equipment and he was pulled in. He died on the scene at 12:45 p.m. Some harvesting machines are known to operate at a speed of up to 4 kilometres per hour.

Worker in Buckhead dies after forklift falls on top of him

Atlanta, GA — A worker died Thursday morning after a forklift fell on him in Buckhead, officials said. Atlanta police said the forklift operator died after the equipment “became obstructed, flipped and fell on the victim.” He was removed from under the forklift and pronounced dead. He was identified as Bradley Cowans, 46, of Kennesaw, according to the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s office.

Diver Dies in SD After Retrieving Wreckage in Imperial Canal

Holtville, CA — An Imperial Irrigation District worker died while trying to recover a body and car from the Ash Canal in Holtville last week. Jonathan Burnworth was found unresponsive in the canal on October 26, according to the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Cal/OSHA). Holtville is about 40 miles north of Mexicali, Mexico. Burnworth, 32, was in the process of attaching hooks and cables to retrieve a car that crashed into the Ash Canal, the agency said. Other divers found him underwater and brought him to the surface. CPR was performed, which brought back Burnworth’s pulse, said Cal/OSHA.

2 utility workers killed in NJ-owned helicopter crash in northern NY

Beekmantown, NY — State police say two utility workers were killed and two others were hurt when their maintenance helicopter got caught on power lines and crashed in rural northeastern New York. Pieces of the aircraft dangled from power lines late Tuesday afternoon before falling beside cornfields in Beekmantown, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of the Canadian border near Lake Champlain. The Federal Aviation Administration says the Aerospatiale AS355F2 helicopter came in contact with power lines and caught fire at 4:16 p.m. The agency will investigate.

Ludlow man killed in East Hartford workplace accident

East Hartford, CT – A Ludlow man died Monday afternoon in a workplace accident at an East Hartford business, according to reports. Ronald Bonomo, 58, was pronounced dead at the scene in a parking lot at a business at 263 Park Ave., according to NBC News Connecticut. The Hartford station, citing police sources, said police were called to the scene at around 1:15 p.m. and found Bonomo dead under a truck.Bonomo was the driver of a propane delivery truck with E. Osterman Gas Company, according to NBC Connecticut. He was apparently performing some kind of repair under the vehicle when he became entangled in the truck’s mechanism and killed.

Construction worker killed after falling off roof into dumpster

Paterson, NJ — A 56-year-old construction worker died Tuesday morning in Paterson after falling off a roof and landing in an empty Dumpster, authorities said. Joseph Perillo, of Woodland Park, was pronounced dead at St. Joseph University Medical Center after falling off a building on the 100 block of Michigan Avenue around 9:15 a.m, the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement.

Enbridge employee killed as helicopter crashes en route to Duluth

Ashland, WI — An employee of energy company Enbridge has died in a helicopter crash in northern Wisconsin. The Airbus AS350 helicopter was flying between Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and Duluth when it was reported overdue at 8:15 p.m. Monday. It was carrying out routine monitoring and inspection of an Enbridge pipeline at the time. Another helicopter flying out of Superior saw the wreckage at 1:37 a.m. Tuesday, with a ground search team then finding it in a remote area of the Bad River Reservation just before 6 a.m., the Ashland County Sheriff’s Office reports. The pilot, 64-year-old Dean M. Bass of Sarina, Ontario, was found dead.

New Info on Deadly Monday Accident with PCSSD Bus

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – PCSSD says Jason Johnson, a mechanic, was the employee killed Monday when he was hit by a school bus. Johnson, 40, worked for the Pulaski County Special School District from October 2007 through June 2016 and returned to the district in February of this year. In a news release, PCSSD shared “its sincerest condolences to Johnson’s wife and his two sons. “Johnson pulled the bus over because he noticed the door to the lift gate (for wheelchair access onto the bus) had swung open. When Johnson closed this door, it popped the air brake off which caused the bus to begin rolling from neutral gear.” “There were no defects with the bus that crashed,” the release adds. “All district school buses are inspected four times each day – twice in the morning (before and after pick up/drop off) and in the afternoon (before and after pickup/drop off).”

Man Arrested in Connection With Stabbing Death at Midway Adult Bookstore

San Diego, CA — A man suspected in the killing of a woman inside a Midway District adult bookstore has been arrested, the San Diego Police Department said Tuesday. Shaun Ward, 39, was identified as the suspect in the stabbing death of 65-year-old Diane Spagnuolo of El Cajon, who managed the X-Spot adult store on Midway Drive near Kemper Street, SDPD said. A customer found Spagnuolo dead with trauma to her upper body at around 1:45 p.m. on Monday, SDPD said. Police believed she was assaulted and launched a homicide investigation.

Truck Runs Over, Kills Construction Worker Who Fell Off

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) — Virginia authorities say a construction worker fell off a truck that then ran him over and killed him. News outlets cite a Virginia State Police release that says 43-year-old Toney Darnell Saunders Jr. was a passenger on a construction truck carrying road cones and barrels in a work zone on Interstate 64 on Sunday night. Police say he lost his footing and fell onto the road from the truck’s cargo area. The truck then backed over him. Saunders died at the scene. The vehicle is owned by Spivey Rental Inc.

Worker dies after falling from roof on TSU campus

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A worker died after falling from the roof of a building at Tennessee State University. According to Metro Nashville Police officials, 55-year-old Richard Bray fell from the sixth floor roof of Mary Wilson Hall on campus. Bray allegedly stumbled and fell backward over the edge at 12:20 p.m. Monday. Other workers were about 40-50 feet away when they reported that they heard someone yell. Bray was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center where he died on arrival. He had been hired to do the electrical work by a subcontractor.

Joplin-based tow truck driver killed on I-44 this week is laid to rest

Joplin, Mo – Michael White was tragically killed in a crash on I-44 at Sapulpa, OK while he was towing a semi earlier this week. Sunday morning at Baxter Springs we caught a convoy of trucks traveling into Oklahoma for his funeral service. They began Kansas City at the Santa Fe Towing terminal and have been picking up more tow trucks along the route.